Monday, July 30, 2012

The Latest News

Here are some things to tell you: I finished another quilt (see above). It was a year in the making, because I had every intention of hand-quilting it, and I did hand-quilt a little over half. But one day earlier this month I realized I wasn't enjoying the hand-quilting and it was taking forever. So I whipped the quilt over to my sewing machine and finished quilting it in a couple of hours. The pattern is called "Hidden Stars."

Other news: My stomach is finally on the mend. It's still sensitive and my diet is still limited. It seems strange to me that I can't eat string cheese without my stomach hurting, but there you have it. I've lost six pounds, which puts me close to my New Year's Resolution of losing ten pounds. So there are silver linings here.

I'm in a finishing mood. I'm finishing up the Gryffindor sweater I started for Will last summer, and a brown cardigan for myself. Why a brown cardigan, you ask? Well, knitting is all about imagination, I think, and a year or so ago, I imagined myself in a brown cardigan and gardening clogs in the late fall out in the beds picking kale, and so a sweater was born. I'm on the second sleeve, and it's just a tee tiny bit boring, all this brown. But it will be worth it this autumn, when I'm living out my sweater dreams.

Will went to the pool with Gavin today, and Jack went to drama camp, and I had several blissful hours in the house all alone. I don't think that's happened once this summer. I worked on a quilt and watched the last of "The Forsyte Saga" on Netflix. Have you watched it? Loved it. Now I'm going to read the book.

Lots of tomato action. One of the nice things about feeling better is that I have lots more energy and a lot less aversion to kitchen tasks. Last week I processed loads of tomatoes and made lots and lots of tomato sauce. The week before that, the Man processed tomatoes and made tomato-basil sauce, which is delicious. The freezer is started to fill up. A good feeling.

Speaking of the Man ... he wanted to do something nice for me since I haven't been feeling so hot, so he painted our bedroom this weekend. I'll share a before picture now, and when we get the room put back together I'll show you the after picture.

Here's before:

The Man had just started working when I took this picture. Can you see how the room was industrial park beige? It was that way when we moved in--how did it take us so long to paint it? I guess we were putting all our decorating energy into the downstairs ...

It's nice to have someone willing to paint a room for you when your stomach hurts, don't you think? And today is our anniversary--eighteen years. Hurray!

11 comments:

Oh, I do like the man very much for thinking of such a nice thing to do for YOU!I had a long bout with that same stomach distress many years ago. It was awful and we really never got to the bottom of it. Gaviscon is the only chewable stomach calmer that helped.I love this line: But it will be worth it this autumn, when I'm living out my sweater dreams.That's beautiful and so true. We do have sweater dreams. You are such a truth teller, good Frances.

Oh, I do like the man very much for thinking of such a nice thing to do for YOU!I had a long bout with that same stomach distress many years ago. It was awful and we really never got to the bottom of it. Gaviscon is the only chewable stomach calmer that helped.I love this line: But it will be worth it this autumn, when I'm living out my sweater dreams.That's beautiful and so true. We do have sweater dreams. You are such a truth teller, good Frances.

Beautiful, beautiful quilt. Girl, you are talented. I love the colors you picked and this pattern is very pretty. I can't wait to see your finished bedroom....that is something I need to do, too, as our room is builder's white. Happy, blissful anniversary to you!

Happy Anniversary!I'm so sorry to hear that you have been ill, but glad to know that you are enjoying the benefits of health again. I am still in MD with the grandchildren, but they and my husband are all out and about today so that for the first time in two weeks I also have some time, even *hours* alone. It's lovely and rejuvenating.

Happy Anniversary and congratulations! And so very glad to hear your tummy problems are starting to improve.

Beautiful quilt - because of course I don't believe you are capable of a yucky quilt. I want to grab it right off the screen and snuggle underneath it, because it's cold here. The kind of cold you feel on your face when you wake up in the morning!

Oh, the painting, the painting! We are in the middle of a painting marathon, and the idea of someone painting a room for me is just bliss. What a wonderful present. And a lovely quilt. So clever. I do hope you will arrange to have a portrait taken of yourself harvesting corn in that brown cardigan on a nippy Autumn morning..

Glad you're on the mend. I love those blissful times when I'm the only one in the house. I get SO much done. I've learned that it's because I'm so easily distracted by noise and voices that I don't focus well when anyone else is around. I only have two other people in the house now, so you'd think I'd be a whirlwind of activity, but I'm not unless I'm home alone.

I've been freezing tomatoes, too. There are peaches and pears to put up, and I feel autumn in the air this morning. I LOVE this time of year!

About Me

I'm a writer and a stay-at-home mom who keeps meaning to mop the floors because I think it would make me happy if I did. I love books and music and writing, spend entirely too much time in the dentist's chair (I bet I have more crowns than you do), and used to think I was sort of bohemian, but now I wonder. No tattoos. Minivan. That story.